Friday, December 30, 2005

What's your true colour?

In my quest to discover more interesting uses for the internet (apart from work, obviousely) I have been emailed this test by a friend: What's your true colour?.

Apparently I'm yellow! Well, it explains a bit about 'me' below:














I'm liking the whole 'sunny disposition' thing, but I'd like to have YOUR opinion, yes yours, honest blog-reader, on whether this reflects me! Answers, as always, on a postcard or, considering the Christmas/New Years post, just leave a comment ;)

But what's with the disturbing yellow dress?! Hang about, that's a girl's head as well...

TheWeeScottie

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Thursday, December 29, 2005

Cake! Cakes have layers...


Afternoon tea was a fantastic time today, as I had the priviledge of trying the most delicious cake you have ever tasted!



Chocolate to the extreme! Thick gooey icing, chocolate decorations, and 2 (yes 2!) layers of thick yummy chocolate cream...

2 minutes after I picked up the fork I was sad to see that the plate was remarkably empty, but then again I had also lost sight of my toes so it must be good stuff!

So yes, 3 cheers for yummy chocolate cake! And a standing ovation for Zoe who made it for us, Woo!!

TheWeeScottie

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Extreme patience


As you may have guessed, I'm not referring to my debatable level of patience, I am talking about the latest craze to sweep my messenger-based life. Yes indeedy, MSN messenger's not just good for wasting hours of your time, you can now play games -- and therefore waste time in new and more interesting ways ;)



Cat put up a good fight, but I'm sure we all know who won over all for the last 3 days...

Yes, that's right, Cat

Bravo!

TheWeeScottie

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if computers are idiot-proof, why can't I make them work...

Knowing God's will

Currently in my quiet times, I'm meditating in John 21, which covers the miraculous catch of fish, and Jesus re-instating Peter.

In verses 15-17 we find Jesus famously asking Peter if he loves him, three times, leading to the following in verse 17:

'The third time, he [Jesus] said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."...'
-- John 21v17 (NIV) --

So have said to me that this reflects the three times Peter denied Jesus in the temple courtyard back in John 18v15-18, 25-27.

Peter's reaction is understandable, having just affirmed that he loved Jesus twice before. But what really struck me about this verse was not Peter's hurt reaction, but that he was confused as to why Jesus had asked him the same sensitive thing, yet again. I feel Peter was more hurt than understanding of Jesus here.

Jesus was not taunting Peter here, no, for that is not God's nature.

I was reminded that whenever God speaks to us, just as with Peter, he never speaks idly or meaninglessly; he speaks with purpose! As for understanding what he's saying, we need to remember that it's the Holy Spirit that opens the bible to our ears, and it is therefore God that we need to seek, in order to understand his will for us.

We can be assured that what he teaches and speaks to us is for our good, and for his glory, though we may be walking a dark path at the moment. What is key here, therefore, is that we need to seek God wholeheartedly -- and it's the whole he seeks. And in doing this, he will reveal his plan to us, in his time, and when that part of his plan is right for us.

Praise God that:
  • he knows what's going on, because he's watching over and walking with us
  • his plan for us is good, even though we can't see how sometimes
  • HE is good, in every way. In sending Jesus to a cruel world, his love is made concrete in our hearts and minds

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Painting

Aaah yes, the paint pots, rollers and brushes were out today in force as my dad, sis and I set to painting the new room. Very exciting stuff, as our garage is now 2/3 its original size, and there's now paint everywhere!!

in a good way...

honest...





















hmm yeh, a chronic case of over-all-itus. On the up-side, it had more pockets than I've had hot meals, so useful! could carry everything from screwdrivers, to pain brushes, to egg timers in there...





















Before you say anything, I KNOW i'm short, tho no doubt Cat's thinking 'you're not that short...' to herself! Besides which, that bit was really high - at least 1.70m!!





















Nothing like a family effort, here's dad doing more work than me, AND doing a better job of it! I blame all those years of experience ;)





















And the intrepid hard-working tag-team of Caird and Caird take a brief respite to show just how much fun painting a hallway and room to Classic FM can actually be!!

More tales to follow. Coming soon: outside lights, and what happens when you give cats coffee and pro-plus ;)

TheWeeScottie

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I like big butts...



Well it was mum's idea... we both had a good laugh in the kitchen about it! Incidentally, this is my mum's christmas prezzy from my uncle. She did ask for it, but still, a water butt?!!

*rolls eyes*

I hope when I hit 50, that I'm not as enthralled with the prospect of a festive water butt. But being 50 has its perks...

TheWeeScottie

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Sunday, December 25, 2005

Reflections & Evil Pinkness

Yes indeedy, there is finally an update on my other blog, scribblings of a mad scientist, reflecting on the past 2 weeks.

As for the pinkness, yes it is indeedy evil, evil I tell you! Here I was, setting up this blog, and little did I realise (until today, no less) that all the headings were in PINK!! And the thing is (amusing to the everyone apart from me) that I don't know how to change it to another colour!

Oh woh is me... maybe I ought to accept it and buy a matching shirt?

TheWeeScottie

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Joy

As a lot of your will know, my gran’s recently taken up temporary residency in West Berks Hospital, shortly being upgraded to a mansion in paradise. Tho’ it’s been hard over the last 2 weeks – crazy to think it’s only been 2 – and priorities have changed for me this hols, the over-riding thing that has kept joy in my heart has been that she is soon going to be in Heaven, pain-free, and able to worship God the way he meant us to.

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
-- Revelation 21v4 --

I know this verse relates when Jesus returns, but I know that when my gran comes into Heaven all the above will be true for her.

Praise God that we have this same hope for our lives; not hope in the human sense of ‘I hope this will happen’, but in the terms that Jesus meant – an eternal hope, a definite and real hope that we can stake our lives upon.

It's true, I'm going to miss my gran something rotten when God welcomes her into his presence, but praise God indeed that he is so loving that one day he will take us from our physical and mental infirmity, and cloth us in his righteousness in Heaven.

And yes, I'm going to meet her again. THAT is where my joy comes from, and Heaven is where my hope lies

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Premature Santa

My goodness me! What a surprise to find, as I crept downstairs for a late-night sherry (only joking, I was off to brush my teeth!) I found that Santa had already been! :o





















I can only conclude, that the only way Santa can get all our presents to their relevant stockings in time for tomorrow, is indeed to deliver some the night before when he thinks we've gone to bed. Little did I know that I had accidentally duped Santa by saying goodnight to my household.

*sighs* will the magic ever be the same??!

TheWeeScottie

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if computers are idiot-proof, why can't I make them work...

50th chocolates

Happy 50th Birthday to my mum, yeah! :D including a surprise burthday lunch with 16 friends and family!!

But here we have the cream of the presents (well, milk chocolate)...


















Have you ever SEEN such a large box of chocs?! Man alive, maybe I ought to turn 50... Would you buy me chocolates like this if I turned 50?

Answers on a postcard, or alternatively in the form of a comment on this post :)

TheWeeScottie

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if computers are idiot-proof, why can't I make them work...

Friday, December 23, 2005

Homesick

Hey all, as some of you will know, the last 2 weeks have been very emotionally-charged for my family and me, as my gran had a fall on Sunday, resulting over the week in her being in hospital. The docs don't give her more than a couple of days, but she's gonna be in Heaven soon, so I've got peace about it.

Above all things, this has been an amazing time for me drawing close to, and relying upon God. He has consistently sustained and looked after us for the last 3 weeks, and I know he will continue to.

'Homesick' is the name of a song that is very close to my heart now, and will become moreso when God finally embraces my gran in his heavenly arms soon...

Homesick
by Mercy Me

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you


I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never felt more homesick than now

These concluding lines are a constant reminder to me that God is the only one we can turn to for strength - in times when we're on top of the world, and most noticeably when we're at rock bottom. But, PRAISE be to our Father God, that he is ALWAYS FAITHFUL to answer our prayers. Peace is his to give, and he has given it - just look at jesus :)

TheWeeScottie

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Cakes and sunsets

Just looking up from the cake-making extravaganza of the Caird kitchen and this beautiful sunset greeted my eyes...



All I can say is wow. Times like this give us a glimpse of God's imagination, and the blessing that the light spectrum is. Just think, if we could only see in infra-red, we wouldn't be able to appreciate the beauty of it!

God is indeed an amazing guy, I wouldn't trade the life he's giving me for anything :) and just think, one day, as I am reminded of lately, we're gonna stand in his presence and praise him. Infinite joy in exchange for a moment's pain -- Truly awesome stuff!! :D

TheWeeScottie

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if computers are idiot-proof, why can't I make them work...

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Burning down the house...

Not actually the house, but definately most of the garden! Man alive, there was SO much garden rubbish to burn (unfortunately my sis Emma won't let me burn the VERY annoying plastic rabbit outside)

*grumbles*

aaah well, anyways, here's the highlights of the roaring success of today...





















here we are getting going, lots of greenery, lots of fun ;)




















hehe found this sign in the detritous (new word, courtesy of dad!) of wood and stuff, not sure if mum'll appreciate it as a prezzy tho...






















Spot the old bird table. *thinks* hmm, wonder if this'll burn well...






















woo yeah! Burn baby buuuurn!! :D 'nuff said really, man it was hot, hot enough to melt err... something.. that doesn't melt much... but it was hot, yeh hot! My pokey stick and me couldn't get within 2 metres of it!






















aaah here we are, THIS is my pokey stick, good for poking fires with :)


5 hours (yes that's right, FIVE!) and nigh-on 2 tonnes of greenery/wood bits later we headed in, but even now it's still smouldering...

I thankfully only lost half the hair on my left arm, got a scratch on my right arm, and 2 blisters. What a great day this has been! Fire, and a good amount of it.

What do we learn from this then?! *clears throat*

'Fire's bad kids, don't do fire!' (unless you're an aspiring pyromaniac like me ;)

TheWeeScottie

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new blog

aye up all :)

something I have been wanting to do for a while has now been done -- I have started up a 2nd blog for the day-to-day me and other things :) so this blog'll be purely for poetry and stuff like that so do keep checking it out :)

chronicles of a short person

thought you'd appreciate that Ceryn!

episode one: a new blog

Greetings one and all, welcome to my new blog - specifically set up so's I can put random stuff up about what's going on in the life of me (and probably some other random things also :) I'm keeping my other blog, scribblings of a mad scientist, specifically for poetry so keep an eye on that for updates. Odds are I'll pop links to them here as well :)

I've got a new post coming in the next 30 mins or so, but I've got to upload the pix! Patience my young padouin, patience...

TheWeeScottie

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Monday, December 19, 2005

-- Intermission --

Hey all you faithful people wot check up on my blog, sorry there's not been an update in a couple of weeks - I've got about 3 or 4 different titles/themes to write on, and have just not been in the poetic groove! Honestly, I don't know... anyways what was I going to say... aaah yes, I'll get on the case and hopefully there'll be a new poem up here soonish!!

In the mean time, was humblingly reminded today that we just cannot afford to allow pride to take a hold in our lives:

'We are only who we now are, because of who he is- anon

It's only ever been totally about who Jesus is!! :D no matter how pants we are, he is still the same awesome, glorious, holy, faithful friend and saviour that we know; and on that glorious day when we stand before God, he will look upon us and say welcome. Talk about wow ;)

Keep your hearts on Heaven guys, it's gonna be AWEsome!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Seven things

As requested by Cat:

Seven things to do before I die

1. Publish a book of poetry
2. Be devoted to a wife, and raise children to know Jesus
3. Work with children
4. Bungy-jump!
5. Learn to drive
6. Visit some other countries!
7. Work overseas for God

Seven things I cannot do

1. Understand fashion
2. Stop making people laugh/smile
3. Be lost from God
4. Marry an iguana
5. Slate the Welsh (Big-it up to the celts Ceryn!)
6. Be totally sensible (some would argue, partially...)
7. Not be enthralled by gadgets, gizmos and fun techy things!

Seven things that (will) attract me to my spouse

1. She inspires me to go on with God
2. Fun/cheeky sense of humour
3. She knows how to help me chill/calm down (talk about a miracle!)
4. Her passion to serve God wherever she is
5. She challenges me in my faith openly
6. She loves me, and I her, totally
7. We will both share a trust in God for his plan

Seven things I say most often

1. (many quotable embarrasing phrases, Sal has a good list if you wanna ask her!)
2. Dude!
3. Y'wot?
4. So I was, like...
5. You're joking, right?
6. See you guys later whoops, wrong door...
7. That's just wrong...

Seven books I love (Bible not included)

1. Lord of the Rings & Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Congo - Michael Crichton
3. Hunt for the Red October - Tom Clancy
4. The Odyssey - Homer/Virgil?
5. I kiss dating goodbye - Josh Harris
6. Boy meets girl - Josh Harris
7. Kipper's book of counting - Kipper the dog (I have run out of ideas!)

Seven movies I watch over and over again

1. Beauty and the Beast (as Disney is the best thing since sliced bread!)
2. Pay it forward
3. Kung Pow: Enter the fist
4. Shrek 1+2
5. Underworld
6. XXX (Vin Diesel)
7. Forrest Gump

Seven music CDs I love

1. The Einaudi collection - Echoes
2. Watermark - Enya
3. The Second Decade (1993-2003)- Michael W. Smith
4. Songbird - Eva Cassidy
5. Jimmy Eat World - Jimmy Eat World
6. Running with Scissors - Weird Al Yankovic
7. Disc One - Barenaked Ladies (not as bad as it sounds!)

Sunday, December 04, 2005

The Garden Walk

Mary's encounter with Jesus at the tomb has been on my mind for a while. Tonight, I read a poem by Graham Oakes called 'Come and see' , describing Mary's encounter with Jesus after his rising from the dead (Hallelujah!!). The verse that particularly struck me is as follows:

'"Mary", was all she had to hear
she knew, at once, her Lord was near.
Here in the Garden, at her side,
and here she ever would abide.'

Thus, I found myself powering-on my ibook to write a poem from the 3rd person, watching events unfold. Because, we have all walked, or are walking the paths of this garden, searching.

The Garden Walk

Along these garden paths she treads,
with burden of a heavy heart;
the cherished joy of hers lies dead
why must this pain taste so tart?

She stumbles on, forces herself on,
but why this gruesome fate?
Butchered for some trumped-up charge
why exchange such love for hate?

His life was one of love and peace
a light to the dark he brought.
Yet now the light of all her life
rests in a cell, by darkness wrought

The tomb draws near, such darkness there;
such darkness in my heart.
But what of her, when he’s laid to rest?
What’s then to be her part?

The tomb is there, but no guard she sees,
no cold stone denies her way.
Her master’s body now not there,
where once she knew he lay.

What trick is this? Who can be so cruel?,
her heart aloud does cry.
This one last thing she sought to do
but e’en this task now seems denied.

Stumbling from the open tomb,
she barely sees the man,
patiently waiting, not far from her
with love as only he can.

At last she looks, he comes to sight,
‘Where lies my lord’, she cries.
‘Mary’, comes his statement back.
‘Master’, she replies.

And in that moment, it suddenly dawns,
he never truly died;
‘though taken to a wooden cross
and brutally crucified.

For death, it could not hold him,
his power was too great.
The Father made the son to rise,
and save us from our fate.

Such love as this cannot be quenched;
our Father’s for his son.
That through his death, our lives he bought,
and now in him are one.

He calls aloud to each of us,
for all he knows by name.
But have we called him ‘Master’,
when he has called our name?